Chapter 3
1082 Words
True to her words, Chloe arrived exactly at six. The party would be kicking off from half past seven.
Without knocking, Chloe kicked the door open before sauntering in with a smile plastered on her face, making me scoff.
"It's hard to get rid of old habits," I commented and she giggled.
That was Chloe for you. The girl who would rather kick a door open than push it with her hands. The girl who would rather jump out of a window than walk out through a door.
She had always been someone who did what wasn't expected of her and gave no damn about it.
I used to admire her for that. I still did.
Growing up, Chloe was the kind of girl who took no nonsense from anybody. The number of brawls she had been involved in before we graduated from high school couldn't be counted.
I, on the other hand, had been that shy nerd who would endure anything. I would rather cry silently by the washrooms than confront my troubles.
Growing up, I had depended on Chloe, Gael and Hunter to defend me.
That was just how useless and weak I had been.
It was no wonder my mate had rejected me.
“Not only are you wolfless, you are worthless. What were you thinking? That someone like you deserves to be my Luna? A weakling who can only cry when faced with danger can never be my mate." Those were the exact words my mate had said to me.
Ugly, right? But he hadn't even flinched when they left his mouth. The hate and disgust reflected in his eyes made me shiver every time that scene replayed in my mind.
"Down to earth, Lola! What are you thinking about?" Chloe's voice pulled me from my thoughts.
"It's nothing," I replied, forcing a smile.
"From the look of things, I can tell it's something," Chloe insisted, her eyes regarding me with suspicion.
Unable to hold her stare, I looked away.
"Don't tell me you're thinking about that asshole again?" I could hear the disappointment in her voice.
"Lola, when will you ever learn that he is nothing but an ugly past, a past you ought to flush and get rid of? He has made you suffer for years. Are you still holding on to the idea that there's a chance for the two of you? Women like you are the reason men continue to trample on your dignity and see you as desperate."
Chloe's words came out harsh, but she was right.
What was I doing, thinking about the man who had driven a dagger into my heart and watched me bleed?
I was supposed to hate him, because that was what he deserved… hatred. But I couldn't control myself from thinking about him, whether it was cursing him or wishing things hadn't ended the way they did.
I blamed the stupid mating bond for making my life so messed up.
He had rejected me but never bothered to make it official. So not only did I swim in waters of pain and bitterness, I also had to endure my own wolf longing for her mate.
My wolf, Haven, had resurfaced two years after I left the pack. I had been wolfless before, but an incident back in the city had caused her to wake from her slumber.
Nobody knew about that. Not even my parents.
"Do you honestly think I want him occupying my mind? I detest him to the core. But you of all people should know what the mating bond can do. I hate myself every day for thinking about him."
Unable to hold back my tears, I let them fall.
They were tears of frustration and helplessness.
Sometimes I wondered what sin I had committed to earn such a bitter fate.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you cry, but I don't want to see you stuck in this forever. You have to move on, Lola. Prove to him that he is insignificant in your life. That you deserve better and he isn't even worth it."
Chloe's words brought a smile to my face.
She was right. What had been the point of leaving five years ago if I was still going to let him own space in my heart?
I had left to make myself better, and this was the best version of myself I had managed to build over the years. How could I let emotions take control and get the best of me?
"You're right. I need to erase him from my mind and heart. I won't think about him anymore because he is not worthy of it."
With that newfound determination, I smiled to myself.
‘Wait and see. I will prove to you that I am not useless, worthless or a weakling.’
"That's the way to go, girl. Now let's get you dressed for the party," Chloe said, pointing to the two dresses laid out on the table.
"Red symbolises fierceness. Tonight, you will grace that party with the look of a queen, because that is exactly what you are."
An hour later, Chloe and I made our way downstairs to find my parents waiting for us.
The gasps that escaped their mouths did not go unheard.
"My princess has transformed from a girl into a beautiful woman. I am so proud of you," my father said, showering me with compliments.
"Of course she is beautiful. After all, she takes after me, doesn't she?" my mother added, and we all burst out laughing.
She wasn't wrong. I was an exact replica of my mother, from my hazel eyes to my brown hair and my hourglass figure.
I had her to thank for passing down such excellent genes.
"Are you girls coming with us? Gael and Haylee already left," my mother offered, but we turned her down.
We would be heading to the party in my car.
The packhouse wasn't far, but we couldn't exactly walk there, not with the stilettos gracing our feet.
We watched as our parents' car drove away.
Then, without warning, the nerves crept in.
He would be there tonight. Would he come to greet me, or should I be the one to approach him? It had been five years. Would he look at me differently?
I shook those haunting thoughts away immediately. Tonight was about me and not him.
"Are you ready?" Chloe asked.
I took a deep breath and nodded.
"Let's do this."
- Writer
